Out the Window

by Wess

The other Geometry teacher at my school thought I was speaking figuratively. “Haha, yeah, my kids didn’t really like them either…”

I knew this was going to be immensely satisfying. So I listened patiently: “…but I’m sure they’ll get used to them. I mean, of course you’ve got your SmartView up so you can teach them to do all the same things they can do on the TI-83s, right?” and “my kids used to hate the nspires, but I started a new calculator procedure and [somethingabouteffectiveprocedures] and [somethingaboutclassroommanagement]…and they just got used to it.”

I let the silence fatten for a second while I looked at her. Then, I broke it. “No. I mean literally. They threw the calculators OUT THE WINDOW. This is the third time I’ve had people bring calculators, textbooks, and binders up to my classroom that they found sopping out in the courtyard.”

I’m used to getting surprised looks from family and friends, or teachers at other schools, when they hear the way my kids behave–but it’s not very often that I get to see the same shock on someone who teaches the same kids at the same school with me. I had to savor the moment.